Professional Bio

Herm Edwards Bio - PDF

28th Year NFL Overall • 8th with Chiefs
15th Year NFL Coach • 5th with Chiefs

A new chapter in the illustrious 47-year history of the Kansas City Chiefs franchise commenced on January 9, 2006 when Herm Edwards was appointed as the 10th head coach in team annals by Chiefs President Carl Peterson.

“We selected Herm Edwards because he is without question one of the most qualified head football coaches in the NFL today,” Peterson commented. “Herm knows what the National Football League is all about. He coaches all aspects of the game and he coaches them well. He is a man of integrity, family and great passion for the game of football.”

Whether it is his faith, his family or his football team, Edwards exudes passion in all areas of his life. That energetic and enthusiastic approach best defines how he approaches his task as he enters his second season as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2007.

In 2006 he became the first head coach in franchise history to guide the Chiefs to the playoffs in his initial season with the club. In his debut campaign with Kansas City, he posted a 9-7 record, a mark that tied for the most victories by a first-year coach in franchise annals.

After leading the Chiefs to the postseason in 2006, Edwards became one of just five coaches in NFL history to guide two different squads to a playoff berth in their debut campaign with those teams. Edwards also led the N.Y. Jets to the postseason in his first campaign with that squad in 2001.

Despite losing starting QB Trent Green on Opening Day, Edwards kept a steady hand at the helm of the Chiefs in 2006. Kansas City weathered back-to-back losses to begin the season before rattling off victories in five of its next six contests.

In total, there were 11 NFL squads that began the 2006 campaign with an 0-2 record, but the Chiefs were the only member of that group to reach the playoffs. In fact, Kansas City became just the fifth team since 2000 and only the 18th squad since ‘90 to bounce back from an 0-2 start and still earn a spot in the postseason.

Dating back to the 2001 season when Edwards entered the NFL head coaching ranks, only three active head coaches in the league — Tony Dungy, Bill Belichick and Andy Reid — own more postseason appearances than Edwards, who has guided his clubs to four postseason berths in six seasons. Making that feat even more impressive is the fact that Edwards has enjoyed just one season where his Opening Day quarterback started all 16 games when QB Vinny Testaverde did it for the N.Y. Jets in 2001. Since that time, Edwards has employed six different starting signal callers, yet has still guided three of his squads to the playoffs.

Edwards enters the 2007 NFL campaign owning a 48-48 regular season record in his previous six years as an NFL head coach. Including a 2-4 mark in the postseason, his overall ledger stands at 50-52.

Embarking on his seventh season as an NFL head coach in 2007 and his 28th overall season in the league as either a player, a scout, an assistant coach or a head coach, Edwards’ diverse background in pro football provides him with a unique perspective on how to build and lead a team. During his previous 27 seasons in the NFL — a distinguished tenure that has included extended stints with four different franchises — Edwards’ teams have reached the playoffs on 17 different occasions.

His initial NFL coaching experience came with the Chiefs at training camp in ‘89 as the recipient of the club’s Minority Coaching Fellowship. Since the inception of the NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship program in ‘87, over 1,100 coaches have participated. Edwards is the first graduate of the Minority Coaching Fellowship to go on to become the head coach of the franchise for which he served his fellowship. Appropriately, both of those coaching opportunities with the Chiefs were extended by Peterson, the man who signed Edwards to his initial NFL contract as a rookie free agent cornerback with the Philadelphia Eagles in ‘77 and whose association with Edwards stretches back to the early ‘70s when Peterson attempted to recruit Edwards to attend UCLA.

Beginning with that tour of duty during Kansas City’s training camp in ‘89, Edwards had an opportunity to learn from a trio of coaches — Marty Schottenheimer, Bill Cowher and Tony Dungy — who have led their respective teams to a combined 32 postseason appearances as NFL head coaches. Of that illustrious group, the most profound influence on Edwards’ coaching career has unquestionably been Dungy, who joins Edwards as one of 11 former assistant coaches in Kansas City history who have gone on to become an NFL head coach. Edwards’ 30-year relationship with the victorious head coach in Super Bowl XLI dates back to ‘77 when the duo played against one another in the Hula and Japan Bowls, a pair of college football all-star contests.

After serving as a scout for the Chiefs from ‘90-91, Edwards served as Kansas City’s defensive backs coach from ‘92-94, filling the void left when Dungy departed the Chiefs to become the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings. When Dungy was named Tampa Bay’s head coach in ‘96, he recruited Edwards to join his staff as assistant head coach/defensive backs coach. Thanks in large part to the Buccaneers defense led by Dungy, defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and Edwards, the Buccaneers franchise enjoyed a dramatic resurgence. Tampa Bay won its first NFC Central title in 18 years in ‘99 and reached its first NFC Championship Game in 20 years as the squad posted an 11-5 record.

“I think he is the perfect person to capture the essence of what Kansas City is all about,” Dungy said of his longtime protege upon his hiring in 2006. “They have a great team already, but I think he is going to take them to even greater heights. He is so passionate about the game. He is such a leader. I think they have the perfect person for the job.”

Edwards joined the Chiefs after posting a 39-41 record in five seasons as head coach of the N.Y. Jets (2001-05), the third-highest victory total in that franchise’s history behind only Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Weeb Ewbank (71) and Joe Walton (53). Edwards was on the sideline for five postseason contests with the Jets, the best total of any coach in team annals. He registered 35 victories with the Jets from 2001-04, tying Walton (’83-86) for the most regular season wins by any coach in his initial four years with that team.

Including a 2-3 postseason mark, he produced an overall 41-44 record as the Jets head coach. He was the first coach in that club’s history to lead the franchise to the postseason on three different occasions, winning the AFC East title in 2002, while earning Wild Card berths with 10-6 marks in both 2001 and 2004. During the 2002 campaign, the Jets bounced back from a 2-5 start to finish the year at 9-7 and went on to register the first postseason shutout in franchise history with a 41-0 victory in the AFC Wild Card Game vs. Indianapolis (1/4/03). In 2004, Edwards guided New York to its first road playoff win since the ‘82 season with a dramatic 20-17 OT victory at San Diego (1/8/05).

During Edwards’ tenure in New York, his Jets squad was the NFL’s least-penalized team from 2001-05, getting flagged just 399 times for 3,236 yards over that five-year span, totals that were both the lowest in the league. In 2006, the Chiefs were penalized just 76 times, the fifth-lowest total in the league and a decrease of 33.9 percent from 2005 when Kansas City was flagged 115 times. The Chiefs were penalized just 577 yards in 2006, the third-lowest total in franchise annals and the third-lowest tally in the league last season.

Over his five-season tenure in New York, the Jets also owned a +33 turnover differential (143 takes/110 gives), the second-best mark in the NFL. Only Tampa Bay at +34 (167 takes/133 gives) was better. In fact, no team committed fewer turnovers over that timeframe than the Jets (110), while only Jacksonville (57) threw fewer interceptions than New York (64).

Perhaps Edwards’ penchant for fielding fundamentally-sound, disciplined teams can be traced back to his upbringing in the structured environment of a military household, where attention to detail was a daily requirement. Without question, Edwards’ no-nonsense coaching philosophy is also a carryover from his days as an NFL player when he was renowned for his toughness, his tenacity and his belief in the team concept.

The Fort Monmouth, New Jersey native is one of eight former NFL players who are currently serving as head coaches in the league. He enjoyed a 10-year pro playing career from ‘77-86, spending the first nine of those seasons with Philadelphia. Ironically, Edwards inherited the Chiefs head coaching job from another longtime mentor, Dick Vermeil, who coached the Eagles from ‘76-82. Despite his undrafted status, Edwards was in the starting lineup by his first preseason game as a rookie and never missed a start during his nine-year tenure as a cornerback with the Eagles, opening a remarkable 135 consecutive regular season contests.

He earned second-team All-NFC honors in ‘80 and played an instrumental role on a hard-hitting Philadelphia defense that helped boost the Eagles to a berth in Super Bowl XV that season. He totaled 33 interceptions for 98 yards with one TD during his tenure with that franchise. In fact, no Philadelphia player owns more than Edwards’ 38 combined interceptions in regular and postseason action. His 33 regular season INTs are the third-best career tally in Eagles history, just one off of the team record of 34. A member of four Philadelphia squads that qualified for the postseason, he also started seven career playoff contests.

Edwards was also a key participant in one of the most memorable plays in NFL history, “The Miracle of the Meadowlands.” He scooped up a fumbled handoff attempt by N.Y. Giants QB Joe Pisarcik and raced to the end zone for a 26-yard TD to give Philadelphia a 19-17 win at Giants Stadium (11/19/78). That game was part of a late-season, four-game winning streak for the Eagles that propelled Philadelphia to its first playoff berth in 18 seasons. Edwards concluded his NFL playing career by announcing his retirement on November 11, 1986, after playing in seven games for the L.A. Rams and Atlanta that season. He embarked on his coaching career the following year, serving as defensive backs coach at San Jose State (’87-89).

As an assistant coach with the Chiefs and Buccaneers, Edwards was instrumental in the development of a quartet of Pro Bowl performers. In his role as a scout with Kansas City, it was Edwards who first saw the pro potential of University of Tennessee S Dale Carter. With Edwards serving as his position coach in ‘92, Carter successfully made the transition to cornerback and was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He later earned his initial Pro Bowl berth working under Edwards in ‘94, the first of his four Pro Bowl invitations.

Serving as Kansas City’s defensive backs coach from ‘92-94, Edwards oversaw a Chiefs secondary that helped the club force a league-high 115 turnovers over that three-year span. Kansas City led the NFL with a +18 turnover differential in ‘92, thanks in large part to 24 interceptions from the Chiefs defense, the third-highest tally in the league that season. Kansas City established a franchise record that season by returning six of those INTs for touchdowns, a figure that remains tied as the fifth-highest single-season total in NFL history. The Chiefs also ranked second in the league in pass defense during the ‘92 campaign, allowing a paltry 158.6 yards per game. In addition to Carter, other notable defensive backs tutored by Edwards in Kansas City included the illustrious duo of CBs Kevin Ross and Albert Lewis, who combined for 68 INTs with the Chiefs.

After a one-year stint as a pro personnel scout with Kansas City in ‘95, Edwards moved with Dungy to Tampa Bay in ‘96. Under Edwards’ guidance, Tampa Bay finished in the NFL’s top 10 in pass defense in four of his five seasons with the club. The Buccaneers ranked second in the league in that category in both ‘98 and ‘99, allowing just 172.6 passing yards per game in ‘98, the club’s best mark in that area since ‘82. Eight-time Pro Bowl S John Lynch earned his first three Pro Bowl berths under Edwards’ tutelage in Tampa Bay following the ‘98-00 seasons, registering six consecutive 100-tackle seasons for the Buccaneers from ‘96-01.

Edwards’ scouting background also paid huge dividends for Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers assembled one of the league’s finest secondaries, primarily through the draft. CB Donnie Abraham (D3-96) earned Pro Bowl recognition following the 2000 campaign when he posted a career-high seven interceptions, helping Tampa Bay tie for third in the league that season with 25 INTs. During the 2000 campaign, the Buccaneers boasted a +17 turnover differential, tying as the third-best mark in the NFL.

CB Ronde Barber (D3-97) began his career under Edwards’ guidance, registering a career-high 5.5 sacks in 2000. In 2001 after Edwards’ departure for New York, he earned the first of four Pro Bowl selections for the Buccaneers after tying for the NFL lead with 10 interceptions. Other notable defensive backs developed during Edwards’ tenure in Tampa Bay include Super Bowl XXXVII Most Valuable Player S Dexter Jackson (D4-99) and CB Brian Kelly (D2-98), who tied for the NFL lead with eight INTs in 2002.

Edwards began his collegiate playing career at the University of California in ‘72. After spending the ‘73 campaign at Monterey Peninsula Junior College, he returned to Cal for the ‘74 campaign. That season he set a school single-game record that still stands, posting four INTs in a 37-33 win vs. Washington State (11/16/74). After transferring to San Diego State in ‘75, he concluded his playing career with the Aztecs as a senior in ‘76 and was part of a San Diego State squad that finished the season with a 10-1 record. He teammates at San Diego State included the likes of current Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox and Chiefs offensive coordinator Mike Solari.

Throughout his career, Edwards has used his position in the league to serve as a positive role model and has been involved in numerous charitable efforts and philanthropic endeavors along with his wife, Lia. The many noteworthy causes supported by the Edwards’ in New York included the Diabetes Research Institute, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. In 2003, Edwards was appointed as a charter member of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which serves as a conduit between NFL minority coaches and league executives. He was also named to the Positive Coaching Alliance’s National Advisory Committee in 2003, an organization that promotes coaching in a positive manner. In 2002, he was named the Big Brother of the Year by the Catholic Big Brothers For Boys and Girls in New York.

Since returning to Kansas City, Edwards has reconnected with the local Boys & Girls Clubs. Along with Tony Dungy, he has also been an active participant in the All Pro Dad initiative, a parenting program that has received national recognition. The Edwards’ are also active supporters of the Juvenille Diabetes Research Foundation in Kansas City. Since her diagnosis as a Type I diabetic, Lia has been particularly active in educating both children and adults about living with the condition.

Throughout the years, Edwards has participated in golf tournaments and football camps that have benefited youths and worthy causes across the country. He began his hands-on participation in supporting charitable causes as a player, founding the Herm Edwards Youth Foundation in ‘85. For 11 years, the Youth Foundation hosted the Herm Edwards Charity Golf Classic that raised funds for the Boys & Girls Club in Seaside, California. Wanting to make an even more direct impact on the lives of underprivileged children on the Monterey Peninsula in California through his foundation, Edwards solicited the support of his friends and family, as well as players and coaches throughout the league to conduct The Herm Edwards Youth Football Camp, which is entering its 12th season in 2007. The camp is free to all participants and in recent years, upwards of 700 children have taken advantage of this opportunity to hone their football skills and learn valuable life lessons from some of the NFL’s finest teachers. In May of this year, Edwards brought his camp to Kansas City, where 1,100 youths participated in a two-day event at the Chiefs practice facility.

Personal Bio

Edwards was born on April 27, 1954 in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey and was raised in Seaside, California. Edwards’ father, the late Master Sergeant Herman Edwards, met his mother Martha while the elder Edwards was stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army.

Edwards graduated from San Diego State with a degree in Criminal Justice. He and his wife have a son Marcus, who graduated from San Diego State in 2006 after serving as a student-athlete for the Aztecs. He currently serves as a pro personnel assistant for the Chiefs. The couple also has two daughters, Gabrielle and Vivian.